Pharmaceutical Sciences: A Unique SWOG Legacy

Her three-decade tenure as our go-to expert on pharmaceutical sciences issues makes her, I believe, the longest-serving committee chair in SWOG history (disclaimer: membership records from our first three decades are less than complete, so it’s conceivable – but unlikely – that some early committee leader had a longer tenure).

Dr. Wong’s determination and vision drove the creation of this committee in 1995, and her willingness to serve and to problem-solve has ensured its continued success. It’s arguably the sole example of a continuously functioning pharmaceutical sciences committee among the NCI National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN) groups.

The committee has helped define the integration of pharmaceutical sciences across the groups and has helped elevate the role of pharmacists in oncology research overall. Under Dr. Wong’s guidance, committee achievements have included embedding pharmacy liaisons in our disease committees, where they provide their expertise and specialist input on all protocols involving drugs. 

Other committee contributions have included development of a drug checklist for disease committees, an online library of drug information for members, and educational materials on investigational drug handling that have been used across the NCTN.

The committee has also provided valuable insight into principles of placebo formulation, regulatory documentation for nutriceuticals, principles for consistent dosing strategies, and approaches to central support for developing standing orders.

On this last front, one of the PSC’s most recent initiatives, in collaboration with our advanced practice providers, has been implementation of a process for creating protocol-specific initial drug order builds for all new trials. The team has now developed these initial order builds for more than half a dozen SWOG studies.

The PSC has pursued its own research ideas as well. For example, Dr. Wong and colleague Dr. Dan Hertz were awarded a Hope SEED Fund grant to develop a tool to help site staff more effectively screen trial participants for potential drug–drug interactions.

Dr. Wong has been a regular advisor on our weekly triage calls, keeping us from making any catastrophic drug mistakes, and she’s always had an unwavering commitment to mentorship and to nurturing a truly collaborative culture within the PSC.

Dana Sparks, SWOG’s director of operations and someone who has worked closely with her since even before the formation of the current committee, has observed that Dr. Wong has a natural knack for both service and leadership, an unusual combination and one that has been key to her long history of success.

That combination, along with the depth of her specialized knowledge, made it very difficult over the years to identify potential candidates to succeed Dr. Wong in chairing this committee.

Difficult, but not quite impossible, and I believe we have finally found the exceptional successor needed for this role – Joyce Lee, PharmD, who has served for the last two years as co-chair of the PSC. She will become committee chair when Dr. Wong steps down.

A senior clinical pharmacist in investigational drug services and oncology with the University of California – Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, Dr. Lee is also a member of our lung and lymphoma committees and has worked closely with our advanced practice provider working group.

She has said that Dr. Wong’s legacy will continue to shape and strengthen our research community for years to come. I’m thrilled that Dr. Lee will be the one to build on that legacy – and establish her own – as our second pharmaceutical sciences committee chair.

Thank you, Dr. Wong, for your unprecedented leadership and service, and your many, many contributions to our work. They have helped improve outcomes for countless past, current, and future patients!